


Shields and necklaces

by Fantasticoncer



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Awesome Peggy Carter, Background Relationships, F/M, First Meetings, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, Meet-Cute, Protective Steve Rogers, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Sweet Steve Rogers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26562196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasticoncer/pseuds/Fantasticoncer
Summary: AU where you get a necklace at birth with half of an unique shape and your soulmate having the other half. The necklaces warm up or cool off whenever you're closer to your soulmate or further awaySteve Rogers had an ice-cold necklace his entire life. Being small and sickly, he doesn't have the stamina to go look for her. When he becomes Captain America, he still can't find her, but never gives up hope.When he gets taken out of the ice and joins the Avengers, his necklace suddenly starts to warm up....
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Reader
Kudos: 87





	Shields and necklaces

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise.

Steve Rogers patiently waited to be called to the front to be evaluated to join the army, despite that he had already tried this several times and had been rejected every single time. He slowly looked down at his necklace and clutched it tightly in his hand as he always did when he was nervous, before picking up a newspaper and reading it to pass the time. 

He was rejected again and went to the cinema instead. One guy rudely talked through the war propaganda and when Steve said something about it, he was taken outside and beaten up, only to be saved by his best friend. Bucky shook his head at his umpteenth time trying to join the army despite being small and sickly. To cheer him up, Bucky took him on a double-date. Steve just sighed at this action. Bucky had a cold necklace as well, but didn't take it as seriously as he did, taking out girls for a good time. 

Admittedly, he never went any further than that, but Steve really preferred to wait for the right person before going on a date. While a spectacular presentation of Howard Stark was going on, Steve snuck away to try and enlist one more time, despite Bucky's protests. He finally let him go, having to leave for Europe in the morning. A scientist overheard their conversation and decided to give Steve the chance he deserved.

Harsh training started almost immediately. The commander of the new group of recruits, colonel Phillips, was incredibly sceptical about Steve becoming the first Super-Soldier and his teammates always made fun of him and made things even more difficult for him. Yet, he never gave up, clutching onto his necklace whenever things got difficult.

One of the people looking over the project, Peggy Carter, had to step in when the other soldiers had stolen Steve's necklace and had hidden it, making him frantic. "Are you soldiers or are you five year old children?" She asked, holding out her hand for the necklace. "You better give it to me now, or you can pack your things and go home." She continued when nothing happened. Only then did everyone jump into action and Steve got it back. "Honestly, what would you do if this to you?" She asked before leaving. 

"Who would want you as a soulmate anyway?" One of the recruits sneered, but Steve didn't listen, too relieved that he had his necklace back again. The day before the selection was made, colonel Phillips talked with the scientist who had chosen the small, sickly Steve as a recruit, Dr. Erskine, about why he wanted him to be the one to become the Super-Soldier.

Right after that to try and prove a point that Steve wasn't brave enough, he threw a dummy grenade towards where the recruits were training. To his surprise, Steve was the only one to jump on it, telling everyone to get away and clutching his necklace. When nothing happened, he slowly unfurled and looked up. "Is this a test?" He asked and the colonel and scientist shared a look. "He's still skinny." Phillips muttered, before walking away. 

That night, Erskine joined Steve in the barracks and told him about H.Y.D.R.A and Johann Schmidt, the man who had injected himself with a premature version of the serum and had become permanently disfigured in the process. "I'd hate to be his soulmate." Steve muttered. "The Nazi's don't believe in soulmates. If you haven't found yours, they order you to throw your necklace in the trash and they'll lock you up if your soulmate isn't the perfect German person they want their world to be inhabited by." Erskine told him.

Steve looked down at that, unconsciously grabbing his necklace again. It had been his comfort ever since he could remember and the idea of being ordered to throw it away was horrifying to him. Erskine patted him on the shoulder. "When you find your soulmate, Steve, promise me that you will always treat her with respect." He said and Steve immediately promised.

The next day, Steve and Peggy drove to where the procedure would take place, him pointing out all the places he got beat up in. "Do you have something against running away?" She asked. "If you start running, they'll never let you stop." Steve muttered. Peggy told him that she knew what that was like, before Steve awkwardly tried to compliment her and failed miserably.

"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" She asked. "I think this is the longest conversation I've had with one. Women aren't exactly lining up to dance a guy they might step on." Steve answered. "You must have danced." Peggy insisted. "Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying and I honestly want to wait." He replied. "For what?" She asked and he looked down, pulling out his necklace from underneath his clothing. "The right partner." He answered, making Peggy smile at him.

The car dropped them off at what seemed to be an antiques shop, only for the lady running it to reveal the hidden base behind a bookshelf. Joining Dr. Erskine, he gently told Steve to take off his shirt, tie and hat. "I'm afraid the necklace has to go as well. I'm sorry." Erskine said and Steve hesitated. "I'll keep it safe. I promise." Peggy said and he nodded at that, taking it off and giving it to her.

As Steve went to lie in the capsule and Peggy went up the stairs to the visitor's booth, she couldn't help, but glance at it, never really having looked at it before. To her slight disappointment, it was completely different than hers. She knew that whoever was Steve's soulmate, she'd be a lucky girl to have such a sweet guy looking after her. She hoped he'd find her. 

The procedure was a success, but right after it was over, a H.Y.D.R.A spy shot Erskine and got away with the last remaining vial of the serum. A furious Steve gave chase and during said chase, the vial broke and the serum spilled out. The spy quickly killed himself, before Steve could get much information out of him. Phillips refused to let him fight as one Super-Soldier wasn't enough for him and the senator of New York instead let him do promotional and propaganda shows and movies to boost morale.

Steve finally traveled the U.S with these shows, but never once did his necklace warm up. No matter how many women tried to compare necklaces, it never was the right one, much to their disappointment. Not even when he traveled to Europe and got booed off stage, did he feel any difference. While in Italy, he saved Bucky and a bunch of men from a H.Y.D.R.A facility, having a meeting with Schmidt in the process.

Soon after, he formed a special team to go after H.Y.D.R.A with some of those men, which of course included Bucky, before Peggy interrupted the merry making and told him that Howard expected him in the morning. Bucky gave him a look, but he shook his head. Peggy would've said something if they were soulmates. Bucky nodded in understanding.

The next morning, a female private tried to push a kiss on Steve and he barely managed to keep her away, just as Peggy arrived and was very displeased to see it. Knowing how much Steve wanted to wait for his soulmate, she knew that it was the private doing it. "Excuse me, private Lorraine, but I thought you had found your soulmate already." She said with her hands at her sides and the blonde woman drooped off. "Thanks." Steve muttered as they walked away. "Don't mention it." Peggy said in answer.

Howard showed him several types of shields, until Steve found a round prototype of an almost indestructible metal named vibranium. Seeing the lines in the metal, Steve immediately thought of his necklace. Showing it to Peggy, he ducked as she shot at it, the bullets barely leaving a dent. "I think it works." Peggy commented, before calmly walking away.

Steve asked Howard to paint the shield in a certain way, showing the man his necklace. It had different circles with half a star in the middle right at the split. This way, he'd always be reminded what he was fighting for. He and his group, who were called the Howling Commandos, destroyed facility after facility, no doubt pissing Schmidt off in the process.

However, it had to go wrong eventually and when it did, it did so horribly. During a mission to get Schmidt's lead scientist, Dr Armin Zola, Bucky fell off the train and into a very deep ravine, Steve being helpless to do anything but watch as his best friend fell to his death. They got Zola, but Steve was completely numb to everything. Going back to London, Steve went back to the now destroyed bar where he had recruited his team and tried to drink his sorrows away, but his new, incredibly fast metabolism prevented that. 

Peggy soon found him and joined him. "He never even found his soulmate. He didn't take it as seriously as I do, but I know he was excited to meet her one day and now, somewhere out in the world, there's a woman who will forever wait for her soulmate and never meet him." He said. "She would've been lucky to have him." She said in an effort to comfort him and he nodded.

After that, they went on a mission to take down the last H.Y.D.R.A facility standing, before Schmidt bombed the American cities. Storming the base and managing to get on the plane with help from Peggy and the colonel, Steve fought Schmidt, before the mysterious source of all of H.Y.D.R.A's deadly weapons got knocked out of its container and Schmidt was seemingly killed when he grabbed it and disappeared, the cube falling from the plane. 

Getting at the controls at the front, Steve realised there was nothing he could do to stop the plane, except for one thing. Making contact with Peggy back at the bar, he hastily explained the situation. "I got to put her in the water." He said, meaning the ice beneath him. _"But what about....?_ " Peggy asked, both knowing what or who she meant. "I'm sure she'll understand one day. If you ever find her, could you tell her I'm sorry?" He asked. _"Of course I will."_ She promised and Steve gave a tiny smile as he steered the plane down.

With one hand, he grabbed his necklace one more time as the ice came closer and held it tightly, silently apologising to his soulmate for never being able to meet her and making her wait for the rest of her life. He hoped that Peggy was able to find her and tell her who he was and why he'd never see her face or hear her voice. He just managed to say goodbye to Peggy, before the plane hit the ice. 

He hadn't expected to wake up after that, but he did. He quickly stormed out of the room they were holding him in and burst out into a very different Times Square than the one he was used to. A black man with an eyepatch told him he had been asleep for over seventy years and Steve looked down, knowing that he'd never meet his soulmate now.

He was given his necklace back and was shocked to find it was actually lukewarm, instead of the ice-cold metal it had always been. He realised his soulmate hadn't been in a different place, but a different time entirely. He had no idea how fate had done it, but he was too relieved to really care. Joining the Avengers, fighting aliens and discovering that H.Y.D.R.A had survived WW2 and was inside S.H.I.E.L.D, shook him to the core as did finding out Bucky was actually alive, brainwashed by the evil organisation.

Managing to bring both organisations down and getting saved from drowning by a remembering Bucky, Steve went to find him with his new friend Sam. A few months later, he went to talk to his friend Natasha about something. "Natasha, can I see your necklace for a minute?" He asked, surprising her. "Uhm, sure." She said, showing it to him.

He stared at it. It was in the shape of half a spider with a star in the middle. "How do you still have it? Wouldn't the Red Room destroy it?" He asked carefully. "It was seen as another test for if I met my soulmate, I immediately would've had to kill him." She explained. "Did it ever warm up?" He asked. "Once, when I got shot." She said. He gave her a look and saw that she realised the same thing as him. "He will feel so guilty." He whispered.

He was right as when they finally found a mostly normal Bucky, he felt horribly guilty at realising he had shot his soulmate while brainwashed. Natasha slowly forgave him for it and they started to grow closer to each other. Steve watched them develop a friendship and later relationship from a distance with a smile, wishing that he knew where his own soulmate was and when they would meet her. He had traveled once again, but had been unable to find her. Little dude he know, the time was almost there. 

The Avengers and the X-men had agreed to form an alliance. The Avengers went to Xavier's school to formally seal the agreement. In the car towards the school, Steve suddenly realised that his necklace was warming up. "Buck." He said, his friend immediately looking up in concern at hearing his name. "What is it?" He asked and when Steve pulled out his necklace, he grinned. 

"Yes, finally!" He shouted loudly and Steve blushed as they drove on. By the time they were at the mansion, Steve had to pull of the necklace as it had become too warm to bear. Bucky was practically bouncing up-and-down next to him, excited to see who was destined to be with his best friend. Professor Xavier and several of the X-men were waiting for them. 

The two teams talked for a while, before Steve asked if he could look around and was given permission. Walking into the garden, he let the heat of his necklace lead him to where a woman was reading a book. As he approached her, he noticed that she had her necklace lying next to her on the iron bench, it having a very familiar shape. "Excuse me?" He said carefully, making her jump and look up at him. "Something wrong with your necklace?" He asked, gesturing to the object. "It felt really warm." She said, her eyes hopeful.

"So does mine." He replied, showing her his necklace. She stared at it, before carefully picking up hers and holding it next to his. For the first time in seventy years, the necklace was finally whole. "A perfect fit." He said softly and she immediately beamed at him. "I did always wonder why my necklace looked exactly like your shield from the comics and files." She said and he laughed.

You smiled at the sound, immediately liking it. You had a healing factor as well as healing powers, so you would live longer than normal people. You had been absolutely terrified that you would have to live without your soulmate, but with said soulmate being Captain America, those worries seemed baseless. He held out his hand and you grabbed it, blushing when he kissed your knuckles.

After formally introducing yourself to him and he to you, he led you inside to meet the rest of the team. Bucky and Sam were immediately enthusiastic to finally meet you and their comments made the both of you blush. Professor Xavier and the other X-men were happy that you had found each other as well as you had been wondering if you would ever meet your soulmate with your longer lifespan. Both teams agreed to let you come back to New York with the Avengers as you had completed your training. 

As soon as you were back in New York, you and Steve started to get to know each other, slowly growing closer and starting a relationship as the months went by. Steve took you to see an ailing Peggy and the woman was ecstatic to meet you while she remembered, he dementia getting worse. After a successful mission, Tony threw a party to celebrate and put up a slow song for the soulmate couples in the room.

Steve held out his hand to you and you took it as he led you to the dance floor. "I'm so glad that I finally know how to dance." He whispered and you laughed. "So, no stepping on my toes?" You asked. "I hope not." He replied and you both chuckled as the music started and he pulled you closer to him, starting to sway back-and-forth on the music. 

_When I look into your eyes_

_It's like watching the night sky_

_Or a beautiful sunrise_

_There's so much they hold_

_And just like them old stars_

_I see that you've come so far_

_To be right where you are_

_How old is your soul?_

_Well, I won't give up on us_

_Even if the skies get rough_

_I'm giving you all my love_

_I'm still looking up_

_And when you're needing your space_

_To do some navigating_

_I'll be here patiently waiting_

_To see what you find_

_'Cause even the stars, they burn_

_Some even fall to the earth_

_We've got a lot to learn_

_God knows we're worth it_

_No, I won't give up_

_I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily_

_I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make_

_Our differences, they do a lot to teach us how to use_

_The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake_

_And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend_

_For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn_

_We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in_

_I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not_

_And who I am_

_I won't give up on us_

_Even if the skies get rough_

_I'm giving you all my love_

_I'm still looking up_

_So easy is our life_

_What's mine is yours and yours' mine_

_Hardly do we ever fight_

_We'd rather be kind_

_I won't give up on us_

_Even if the skies get dark_

_I'm healing this broken heart_

_I know I'm worth it_

_I won't give up on us (No, I'm not giving up)_

_God knows, I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)_

_We got a lot to learn (We're alive, we are loved)_

_Lady, you're worth it (And we're worth it)_

_No, I won't give up on us (No, I'm not giving up)_

_God knows, I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)_

_We got a lot to learn (We're alive, we are loved)_

_Lady, you're worth it (And we're worth it)_

_No, I won't give up_

"I never thought I would have this." He confessed as the song stopped and you looked up at him. "I'm here now, Steve. You're not alone anymore." You replied. He smiled, before looking at where your joined necklaces were hanging from your neck. "Then I'm the luckiest man in the world." He breathed, before caressing your cheek and kissing you, ignoring the hoots around you. He had finally found you and he had never felt so happy

**Author's Note:**

> First story with Steve as a central character. Hope I did it right. 
> 
> Read and review. See you next time.


End file.
